Evening Anchor
CBS 2, New York City
My dad was in the Air Force, and my family moved around quite a bit. For a time my father was stationed at Offutt AFB, and my brothers attended University of Nebraska–Lincoln. When I applied and was accepted, it felt like the right place to be.
I got the broadcasting bug my freshman year when I caught Dan Rather anchoring a breaking news report. The rest, as they say, is history.
The college has undergone quite a transformation since I was student: new building, new equipment, new programs. What hasn’t changed is the feeling you get from faculty. They care about the students. They want them to succeed. And they do an excellent job guiding each individual student through the program.
The college helped facilitate my internship with KETV. That experience was valuable because I got my first job based on a recommendation from an employee there. Without that, I doubt I would have been hired.
One of my best memories is the TV production class I took with Professor Tom Spann during my senior year. At the end of the semester, we produced a game show, a spoof with elements stolen from “Wheel of Fortune” and “Family Feud.” It was so wacky, and we had so many laughs. I’ll bet if I searched I could find the VHS recorded copy buried somewhere in a storage box.
The program allowed me to build a foundation, and I’ve added more layers over the past 20 years. Thankfully, it’s proved to be a strong foundation that hasn’t cracked even in the most challenging times.